Diving-bell



Na. 617,758. Patenied Ian. i7, 899.

s. LAKE. EWING BELL.

Application filed June 21. 1897.

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

No Model."

INVENTOR;

Ne. 6|7,750. Patented Ian. 17; I899.

' S. LAKE.

DIVlNG BELL.

(Application filed June 21, 1897A 2 Sheets$heet 2.

(No Model) INVENTOR.

WXTNESSES T0 aZZ whom-it may concern.-

1 NITED- STATES PATENT QFFICEQ SIMON LAKE, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND. I

..DlVl'NG.-BELL.

$PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,750, Jaiiuary 1 7, love.

A plication filed June 21,1897. Serial ma. 641,5d2. filo model.)

Be it known that I, SIMON LAKE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Baltimore city, in the State of Maryland, have invented ing-Bells, of which certain new and useful Improvements in Divthe following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a diving-bell which may be readily operated by means of contained apparatus, so as to dispense with the employment of an attendant vessel uponthe surface 'for rendering such assistance as has been heretofore commonly required in the performance of submarine work, and to provide a structure of this class of such character as to be easily movable upon the water-bed while operatively engaged.

- means for supplying The present improvement is designed especially for use in laying submarine foundations and in pearl, coral, and sponge fishing and other operationswherein it is important that the apparatus for liftingand carrying during the working of'the same. i

The invention consists, primarily, in the application to the diving-bell of depending wheels for supporting it while resting upon the Water-bed, whereby it may only for the purpose of shifting its position intermediate to series of operations in a given locality, but during its actual working, as in lifting 'and transferring blocks of stone in laying submarine foundations.

The invention consists also in the applica-, tlon to the exterior of such structure of a winch and boom for use in lifting heavy objects from the water-bed and placing them in some predetermined relation.

The present improvement further includes means for adjusting the height of the structure above the water-bedupon its'supportingwheels, means for elfeeting its submergence, the same with atmosphericair and carrying away the spent air, a special arrangement of working compartments, and various other specific details of construction to be described hereinafter.-

In the drawingsannexed, Figure 1. is a sectional elevation of. a diving-bell embodying my present improvements. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the'base of the boom and the mechanism within the bell for turning'the be moved not' in addition to its lateral doors unloading aeargo-upon a mow-alongside,

same intodifiierent axial relations. Fig. 31's- .an elevation of "the and Fig.4 a similar view of the' apparatus 7 employed while resting upon the water-bed in the building of a submarinefoundation.

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan of the diving-bell with the top of the operating or motor chamher or compartment removed to expose the contained apparatus. Fig. 6 is a similar view .taken on the line :1: ac in Fig.1, showing the lower compartments of the bell in plan View. Fig. 7 is a representation of the upper side of one of the bottom doors of the divers'compartment, and Fig. 8 a vertical section inns trating the mode of application of suoh doors to their respective doorways within the sup porting-guidewa-y therefor.

The diving-bell is shown constructed of a I cylindrical shell 1, closed at the top and bottom and divided into an upper operating or motor compartment 2, a lower central compartment or chamber 3, surrounded by a con centric diverts compartment 4, and an air-lock compartment 6 above the latter and communicating therewith and with; the operating-Q compartment by means of doors 7 and 8, respectively. 3, which. is designedto afford space for both cargo and water ballast, is provided with a bottom door 9 for access thereto from below 5 and upper door 8*. The operating-compartment is preferably furnishedwith a motor, such as the gas-engine 10, whose shaft is projected through the shell and provided external there-- to with a propeller-wheel 11, The rudder 12,, W carried by suitable bearings 13 adjacent to the propeller-screw, .is provided with a ver-,

tical pivot having a worm-wheel 14, meshing with a worm 15, whose shaft ld'earries upon its inner end a drum '17, from which'areled the lines 18 for connecting the same with the steering-wheel commonly provided for actn ating the rudder.

T0 effect the submergence of the bell, the

IOO

external weights 19, which are suspended by cords 19 from suitable hoisting-drums 20, mounted upon shafts extended through the shell into the compartment 2' to receive the actuating crank-gearingQO', are firstlowered The lower central compartment chamber.

to the water-bed, and water is thenadmitted to the water-ballast chamber 3 through the ma i e iii havin a valve 22, whose stem '22 projectrfupwardly through the top of the said chamber to receive the hand-wheel 22".

in case the external. water-pressure is not p'ulsionof such air may be eiiected through a suitable air-exit pipe provided for the purpose, leading outward from'the top 'of the The buoyancy of thediving-bell having been nearly destroyed by the admis- 'sion of water-ballast and the water-inlet pipe closed; the hoisting-drums 20 may now-be actuated to wind in their lines, which operateto draw the structure down to the water-bed,

the slight buoyancy of the same remaining being insufficient to support the weights.

In order to maintain the' shell movably upon'the bottom, so that the weights may be drawn upwardly oil the Water-bedto insure the stability of the structure in its operative position beneath the surface, the upright bars or standards 23 are provided, each having at its lower'end a caster-wheel 24 and formedat its upper end with a cylindricalhead 23', fitted closely to the bore of a hydraulic cylinder 25, having its closed upper end connected with a water-supply pipe by means of a threeway valve flil" and with a pressuregagc 27" for indicating the water -pressure therein. The several pressure-gages not only serve to show the weight of the cargo with which the structure is being loaded or that of the objects lifted by its hoisting apparatus, but they together serve to indicate whether the load is uniformly distributed,-so as to adapt the bell to float with the floors of its compartments level when caused to rise to the surface.

'lhehydraulic cylinders 25 are secured to the exterior of the shell by straps 25 or other suitable means. 'It is obvious that the admission and expulsion of water to and from thesecylinders serves to vary the adjustment of the shell l above the water-bed and that by their indep dent connection with the water-supply p 3 they may be made to compensate for ugly unevenness in the water-bed and to maintain the floors of the several compartments in a level position.

To enable the diving bell to handle heavy objects in its operations beneath the surface,

- theshell is provided externally with a winch crank 30 for actuating the same, and to this I swivel-head is pivoted the base of the swinging boom 31, carrying at itsonter end the 7o pulley-block 32, fiver which the hoisting-line I 33 from the winch 26 is passed to the object .to be lifted. i

An upright frame isprovided upon thetop of the'shell 1 by the erection thereon of a 7 5- series of two or'more pipes 34 frompointsnear the edge and converging at the upper ends, which are secured together by a union-piece I or yoke 35, from. which depends a pulley-block 3G for use in removing the cargo, as 'herein- 8 o after explained. A suitable stay-line 31 connects the top ofthis frame with the outer end; .5

of the boom for sustaining the latter at the desired angle of elevation in the performance of 7 its function. This stay-line may obviously be provided with the usual means for varying its effective length for changing the angle of elevation of the boom when desired. Each of the upright pipes 34 is shown in v communication with the interior of the bell at 9c its lower end and provided at the opposite 'end (which is refiexly bent, as indicated 'in the i drawings) with avalve 37, whose stem 37 is connected to and actuated by a lever 38, pivoted at one end to the union-piecefifiand carries at its opposite end a float 39 ofspher l ical form. The exhaust-pipe 40 from thegas engine 10 is connected with the inner end of one of the upright pipes 31, through which the products of combustion areled to the surwe face, above whichlatter the frame is designed 1 to project for the purpose. Freshair is sup-' plied to the interior of the bell through oneor more of the pipes 34. In case the upper extremitiesof these supply and exhaust pipes are temporarily submerged by waves upon the surface or other causes the floats 39 are raised and their respective valves thus automatim ally closed until the surface of the water drops below the mouths of the said pipes, when they serve to open the valves in a similar manner.

The operatingor motorcompartmcntis furnished with a hydraulic pump ll, driven from the gasenginc shaft byabelt-and-pulley connection for supplying power to actuate the hydraulic cylinders 25, a dynamo 42, similarly driven, for supplying current forthe m0- tor actuating the winch 2G, and an air-compressor 4-3, also similarly connected withthe gas-motor-c'ngi no shaft, for storing com pressed air in the reservoir -14, from which pi pcs 4.4 are led to the cargo-compartment 3 and the air-lock compartinentG. Each of thesemembers of the apparatus, as well as the motor, may obviously be of'any suitable type and. construction. 1 To provide for the egress and ingress of the occupants of the structure when the latter is resting upon the Waterbcd, the bottom of the annular divers compartment is formed r3:

with a series of doorways, each adapted to be closed by a door 45, having a recess or de- .pression 45' in its upper side. Each of these doors is fitted movably within a guideway ex- I tending along'the opposite sides of said door closing its respectivedo'orway by means of ways, upon the under side of the shell, and

formed of angle-irons 46, whose, depending webs have the inwardly-projecting flanges 46, overhanging the edges of the doors 45, so as to s pport them close to the bottom of the shell when not secured in their normal positions. Eachv door is fastened in position for bolts 47, hinged'at one end to suitable lugs 45 in the recess or depression 45"in the door and provided atthe other-end with. clampnuts 47, notches 48 beingformed in the edges of thedoorway to receive the shanks of said bolts, as shown in Figs. 1, 6, and 8.

The diving-bell having been propelledupon the surface to the vicinity in which it is to be operated and its submergence having been efiected to enable itto rest uponits supporting-wheels on the water-bed,'asal'ready described, the divers or other operators enterthe compartment 4, and the doors having been elosedcompressed hir is admitted from the reservoir'44. By opening a petcock 49 ina pipe 5 0, projected from the bottom and communicating with the exterior of the compartment, it may be readilyaseertained when the pressure of the air within is equal to that .of the surrounding water, as the water will down upon the su 'pporting-ilanges 46 of the guideway, upon which it may be slid laterally to expose the doorway normally closed by it, the bolts 47, lying within the recess, being obviously retained out ofinterference with the under side of the bell at such time.

\Vhen the apparatus is emplo ed in pearl,

coral, or sponge fishing and other operations of likecharacter,.a diver may stand upon the water-bed beneath each doorway, with the upper portion of his body within theeompartment 4, and reach down with his hands to the bottom for the objects for which he is' in search, placing them upon the section. of the floor intermediate to the doorways and slowly pushing the diving-bell along in a given course upon its SUDIlOlblllg-WllOQlS as thearca of the watcr-bcd beneath becomes cleared.-

As the cargo accumulates in the outer compartment at it may be transferred from time to time through the lateral doors 5 into the cargo and water ballast compartment 3',

where it may be retained for delivery after the structure ascends to the surface.

In cases wherein the employment of the winch and boom are required these may both be actuated from the interior by an occupant of the operating or motor compartment, suitabledcad-lights 51 being provided at conven- 'tion.

.ientpoints in the shell for inspectien of the work as it progresses. a

It often happens that the materials to be handledin the building of submarine foundations are not deposited sufliciently near the site of the foundation for being placed in position by hoisting apparatus in a fixed posi- The presentimprovement providesfor such emergency in its adaptability for being moved while sustaining the object to be so placed, its supporting-wheels enabling it to traverse thewater-bed to'eompensate for the necessarily limited length of the boom.

heightof the shell uponitssupporting-standardsalso provide means for conveniently eleject without the necessity of shortening the elfective lateral reach of the boom by the common expedient of changing its angle of eleyation for such purpose. This feature is obviously of importance in the construction of piers in which the base is of greater area than the upper portion, as in Fig. 4 of the drawings. 7

When it is desired to cause the diving-bell 'vating a foundation-stone or other heavy ob- "lhehydraulic cylinders for governing the to rise to the surface, the doors 45 are slid in place, when the water contained in the back in the gnideway under their respective doorways and their fastentng-bolts secured compartment 3 may be expelled through the pipe 21 by the admission of compressed air at a sullicient pressure, so as to partially re store the buoyancy of the structure. The

hoistin -lines 19 are then unwound to enable the bell.to rise to thesurfaee, the remainingwater' ballast expelled from the compartment 3, and the weights 19 wound up to their normal positions adjacent to the shell, when the structure is ready for propulsion to'a place for the transfer of itscargo. The latter op eration is effected by removing the doors or hatches'S and 52 in the tops of the cargo and operating compartments, respectively, and raising the cargo by means of a bucket 53 or other receptacle fixed to a hoisting-line 54,

passing over the pulley-block, 36, suspended from the upright frame 34 35, asiudicated in Fig. 3.

From the foregoing description it will. be observed that the frame 34 35 serves a threefold purpose-that of affording an abutment for the stay-line attached to'thc head of the boom 31, of providing inlet'a'nd exhaust passages or conduits for the air employed within the diving-bell, and of supporting the pulley-block 36, used in unloading the cargo from thecompartment 3. By suitably staying the boom 31 the winch 26 and line 33 may be used in connection with the pulley-block 36 in the operation oftransferring the cargo.

While the frame 34 35 is shown herein as constructed of two upright pipes-only, which are all that are required for conducting the air and gases to and from the interior of' the structure, it is preferable in practice to add at least one more, so as to form a tripod for 6o height therein.

conferring the requisite stillness to withstand iiig-ooaes are shown at certain pointsup'on [O the annexed drawings, but omitted at others as immaterial to the present improvement. Numerous other details of construction have also been omitted from the accompanying drawings, as they form no part of the .presout invention and their illustration in con-' nection herewith would serve no useful pur .POSG.

A While the several operative" members of the apparatus contained within the compartment 2o 2 have been described atsome length herein,

it is to be understood that they are not es-' sential to t e present invention, which consists, primarily, in a diving-bell mounted upon supporting-wheels, so that it may be 2 5 readily pushed from place to place by the occupants while resting upon the water bed.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim is--' 1. Adiving' bellinounted upon supporting- 3o wheels-revoluble independently of mechanism contained within said bell, and adapted to be moved freely from place to place while resting upon the water-bed.

2. A diving-bell mounted upon supporting: 3 5 wheels each of which is revoluble independe'ntly of the others and of mechanism con- I tained within said bell; and adapted to be moved freely from place to place while rest- 1 ing upon the water-bed. 3. A divingbell mounted upon casterwheels and adapted to be moved freelyin any direction by the occupants walking upon the water-bed while resting thereupon.

4. A-diving-bell provided with a series of 5 upright supporting-bars secured adj ustably thereto as described and provided each with a caster-wheel upon its lower end whereby said diving-bell is adapted to be moved freely in any direction while upon the water-bed and 5c in any of the adjustments of its supportingbars. 5. .A diving-bell provided with a series of upright hydraulic cylinders, a corresponding series of supporting-bars provided each with a caster-wheel upon its lower endand having its upper end fitted in one of said hydraulic cylinders to serve as a plunger therefor, and means for supplying water to said cylinders and maintaining said bars at the required a A diving-bell provided ext nally witha series of upright hydraulic cylinders, a corre spending seriesof supporting-bars provided each with a caster-wheel upon its lower'end' and havingits upper end fitted in one of said hydraulic cylinders to serve as a plunger therefor, and means for independently supdrums, as and for the purpose set forth.

plying said cylinders with water for main-.

taining each of said bars at the required heightin I .s respective cylinder.

. 7. A divingbell provided externally with a: series of upright hydraulic cylinders, acorre spending series of supporting-bars provided each with a caster-wheel upon its lower end and having its upper end fitted closely within one of said hydraulic cyl' ders to serve as a plunger there for, asystem f pipeconnections and valves for manipulating said cylinders individually, and a water-gage connected pressure therein. v f I 8. 'Adiving-bell provided with depending wheels'for supporting t-he same movably upon( with each of said cylinders to indicate the the water-bed, valves for the admission and mounted upon shafts journaled in brackets secured to the exterior of said diving-bell and projected through stuffing-boxes within the same, weights suspended by suitablecables from said hoisting-drums, and crank-gearing within the diving-bell for actuating said 10. A diving-bell provided'rwith a'winch mon nted externally t o and actuated by means within the diving-bell, a boom swiveled in the top of said bell and provided with a pulley block, and a line leading from said winch over said pulley'block.

11; A diving-bell providedwith a winch mounted externally to and actuated by a motor within the said diving'bell, a boom having its base pivoted to-a swivel-bearing whose pintle is projected through the wall of the bell, mechanism within the latter and applied to said'pintle for turning the same, a pulleyblock appliedto the outer end of said. boom,

and a line leading-from saidwinchoversaid pulley-block. f I e 12.- A diving-bell provided wih a winch mountedexterna'llyto and actuutadby amotor within said diving-bell, aboom having its base pivoted to a swivel-bearing whose pintle isprojected through the wall of said bell and actuated by mechanism within the latter, a.

' pulley-block at the outer end of said boom,

an upright frame'projected from the top of the bell, a stay=line connectingthe top of said frame with the outer end of said boom, and

aline running from said winch over snidpnlley-block. i

13. A diving-bell provided with f'a winch mounted externallyto and actuated by also tor within said diving-bell, a b, nn mounted externally upon said ball and carrying a pul icy-block, a frame projected upwardly from. the top of said bell andformed of pipes open.

wheels for supporting thesame movablyupon the water-bed, val. as for the admission and expulsion of .waterballast, hoisting-drums at their upper ends aiid communicating at their lower ends with the interior of said'bcll, a stay-line connecting the top of said frame with the outer end of said boom,and a line running from said winch over said pulleyblock,

it. A diving-bell constructed with an upwardly-projecting pipe in communication at the lower end with the interior oi the bell and provided at the upper end with a valve having a suitable stem, an actuating-lever for said valve pivoted at one end upon said pipe and'carrying at the other end a suitable float,

' and a connection between said valve-stem and its actuating-lever.

15. A diving bell constructed with upwardly-projeeting pipes extending from the outer edges of the top and secured together at their upper ends to form a rigid frame, said pipes communicating at their lower ends with the interior of the bell andhaving their upper extremities rellexly bent and provided with valves having suitable stems, actuatinglevers [or said valves each pivoted at one end to a suitable fulcrum and carrying at the opposite'end a float, and connections between said itlVO-SLOH'IS andtheir respcctive'actuati ug-l'evers.

16. A diving-bell constructed with two upwardly-projecting pipes each provided at its upper end with an antomaticallyclosing valve actuated by means of a suitable Heat and having its lower end in communication with the interior of said bell, and a gas-enginc within said bell drawing its air-supply directly from the interior of the same and arranged to exhaust through one of said valved pipes.

l7. A divingbcll provided with means for cl'l'ectiug its sulnnergcnee and \VltllilltlOIiOlltiently-revoluble wheels for supporting it upon the water-bed, a doorway in its bottom, and a door for maintaining the same normally closed and provided with means for fastening the same detachably to enable it to be wholly removed from said doorway.

1%, A diving-bell provided with means for ell'ecling its submergence and with depending wheels for supporting it upon the waterbod, doorways in the bottom of the Silill(f,-itll(i doors titted movably to suitable guideways and adapted to maintain said doorways normally (-losed.

1 A diving-bell provided with means l'or, elleetiug its submergeuce and with depending wheels for supporting it upon the waterbed, a circular series ol' doorways in the bottom emicentri guides adjacent to and iuclosiug said doorways, and a series olf sliding do rs liiied niovably betw en said guides and 1 adapted to maintain said doorways normally closed.

20. A" diving-bell provided with means'for el't'eeting its submergenee, and wlth depending wheels for supporting it upon the waterbed, doorways in the bottom, to the under side of the bell upc i opposite sides of said doorways and 'extendi lg beyond the same, said guides being f0rme f anglebars with overhanging flanges as u scribed, and doors fitted movably'between said guides guio es applied and supported adjacent to the bottom of the bell by said overhanging flanges, as and for the purpose set forth.

21. A diving-bell provided with means for eltccting its submergcnee and with wheels for supporting it upon the water-bed, doorways in the bottom, guides upon the under side of the bell extending along the opposite sides of said doorways and beyond the same, said guides being formed of angle-bars with overhanging flanges as described, doors each having one side recessed fitted movablybetween said guides and supported by said overhanging flanges with their recessed sides adjacent to the under sideof the bell, and fasteningbolts provided with suitable clamp nuts hinged within the recessed sides of said doors and adapted to engage notches therefor in the edges of the doorways, as and for the purpose set forth.

22. Adiving-bell provided with an upper-opcrating-compartment, a lower central cargocompartmcnt and surrounding divers compartment provided with a series of bottom doors, doors establishing communication between said cargo and divers compartments, and doors in the tops of said cargo and operating compartments for use in removing the cargo, as and for the purpose set forth.

2:5. lidiVing-bcllprovided with an upper operating-compartment, a lower central cargocompartment, and a surrounding divers conipartment provided with bottom doors, doors establishing cargo and divers com partments, central doors in the tops of said cargo and operating eompartmenls, a frame projected upwardly from the top of the bell, and a pulley-block suspended from said frame over said central doors olf the operating and cargo compartments, as and for the purpose set forth.

Signed at Baltimore city, in the State of Maryland, this i th day of May, A. l). 1897.

' SIMON LAKE.

\\' itnesses:

communication between, said 

